A timeless classic this novella has seen several adaptions into both movies and
plays. A tragic story of an
unlikely pair of best friends Lennie and George. The two are travelling men who work on
ranches to get by in a world where every man is for himself. Lennie is mentally
challenged and can be accurately described as a friendly but easily startled man of a huge size. George is a wise guy and a dreamer whom Lennie depends on to survive in
the tough times of 1930s America.
The story has been challenged many times over the years for apparent offensive and racist language which I don't believe is justified, Steinbeck does an excellent job of absorbing us into the world of the ranches of the 1930s where I doubt punctuation or vulgar language concerned people in the slightest.
The principle theme of the book is freedom, which to George means someday owning land. He dreams of owning his own place and living off the "phat of the land" with Lennie but the simple nature of his childhood friend leads the pair into trouble frequently and the presence of a flirtatious young lady on the ranch with her rowdy husband worries George.
Character Development 9.5/10
The books is a a short story but yet Steinbeck portrays greatly intriguing characters fantastically whom I felt genuine admiration and in other cases loathing for. The great achievement of this book is how we sympathies so much with the characters after such a short story.
Dialogue/Monologue 8.5/10
The dialogue is coloured nicely with slang, full of abbreviations yet easily read. There is a constant necessity for George to repeat things to Lennie but it doesn't ever drag on.
Memorable Quotes or Scenes 9/10
Quite possibly the most memorable ending to a story ever (note its not the quote below).
"They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of em' ever get it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out there. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land. It's just in their head."
Engagement 8.5/10
An entertaining and hard to put down kind of book but too short to keep you awake at night, I read it over two evenings.
Impact 9/10
Most definitely leaves a lasting impact about friendship and how we view people who are more mentally challenged in life, will be a book I re-read again in years to come.
Overall Rating 8.9/10
One of my favorites and a book I love to quote, definite must read and if you can't read then you need to watch the movie version for the great story.
The principle theme of the book is freedom, which to George means someday owning land. He dreams of owning his own place and living off the "phat of the land" with Lennie but the simple nature of his childhood friend leads the pair into trouble frequently and the presence of a flirtatious young lady on the ranch with her rowdy husband worries George.
Character Development 9.5/10
The books is a a short story but yet Steinbeck portrays greatly intriguing characters fantastically whom I felt genuine admiration and in other cases loathing for. The great achievement of this book is how we sympathies so much with the characters after such a short story.
Dialogue/Monologue 8.5/10
The dialogue is coloured nicely with slang, full of abbreviations yet easily read. There is a constant necessity for George to repeat things to Lennie but it doesn't ever drag on.
Memorable Quotes or Scenes 9/10
Quite possibly the most memorable ending to a story ever (note its not the quote below).
"They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of em' ever get it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out there. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land. It's just in their head."
Engagement 8.5/10
An entertaining and hard to put down kind of book but too short to keep you awake at night, I read it over two evenings.
Impact 9/10
Most definitely leaves a lasting impact about friendship and how we view people who are more mentally challenged in life, will be a book I re-read again in years to come.
Overall Rating 8.9/10
One of my favorites and a book I love to quote, definite must read and if you can't read then you need to watch the movie version for the great story.
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